Full marks to the people of the Balearics; they were told to stay at home because of the coronavirus and they have done so! Some people I know have not left their home since Saturday and they are still in good spirits.
The Spanish have a reputation of sometimes flouting the law but not in this instance. Palma is like a ghost town and this is what the government wanted as part of their attempts to stop the spread of the virus.
The words of Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez were taken very seriously when he ordered the lockdown. It is a sad and worrying time in the Balearics. Hundreds of companies are laying off their staff across the islands at a time when they should be getting into top gear for the start of the summer season. The economic impact of the coronavirus on the local economy will be enormous.
There is talk of the summer holiday season not starting until June or July, some even claim that this is wishful thinking. The government is obviously trying to support the workforce as much as possible; even helping employers pay part of the wage bill.
The economic future looks worrying but at the moment the only thing we can do is to try and stem the virus by staying at home and listening to official government health recommendations.
I have never known a similar situation in my lifetime but I do believe that we can all be very proud of ourselves. Together or at least two metres apart...we are helping to fight the virus.